Container and closure structure



Dec. 28, 1943. w. H. ROBINSON 2,337,622

CONTAINER AND CLOSURE STRUCTURE Filed Feb. 8, 1941 INVENTOR VVZZZzlam Robinson Patented Dec. 28, 1943' v UNITED ,s'rA'rEs PATENT.- OFFICE.

CONTAINER AND cnosuan sraucruaa William H. Robinson, Limestone, w. Va., assignor to Wheeling Steel Corporation, Wheeling, W. Va a corporation of Delaware Application February a, Maser-n1 No. 377,966

7 Claims. (Cl. 221-11) This invention relates to containers and closure' structures therefor. It relates more particularly to storage and shipping containers and especially such containers made out of sheet metal. In sheet metal containers of the type in question there is provided an opening through which the container is adapted to be filled and a closure for such opening. A spout is customarily appliedto the container at the opening to guide the contents of the container when being poured out.

The business of supplying containers of the type in question is highly compet tive and a commercially successful container must be of sufficiently simple construct on that it can be made at low enough cost to meet st ff price competition. Also the containermust be structurally strong and particularly the closure for the opening through which the container is filled and emptied must effectively seal such open ng under all conditions to which the con ain r may reasonablv be subjected in use. Heretofore it has been the aim of manufacturers toc mpromise between low cost and tight sealing with t e result that structures of more comp exity than desired have been employed in an attem t to insure a tight seal, yet a tight seal has not always been thus obtained in practice. A so. d f iculty has been experienced du to the rojection inwardly of the container of a neck surround n the opening and which has in man cases been cons dered necessary from the structural standpiont to insure satisfactory sealin This inwardly projecting neck is highly disa vantageous when the container is bein filled with l ouid. for when the level of liquid in the contain r rises above the lower extremity of the n ck air is imprisoned between the surface of the liquid and the container top which vents out through the filling opening in irregular gushes, resulting in spattering of the liquid over the outside of the container and on anything else which may be adjacent the container. Also the inward y projecting neck has materially interfered with smooth pouring out of the contents of the container, interrupting the flow and making dimcut or impossible the controlled pouring out of the contents in asmooth compact stream. Attempts to do away with the inwardly projecting neck have met with difllculty from the standa strength and an eminently satisfactory and tight seal. I preferably do away entirely with. any inwardly projecting-neck so that when the container is being fllled it may be filled right up to the rim of the fllling opening without danger of 'spattering. due to air venting. This makes it possible to save substantially on the amount of metal going into the container, as the height of the container may be reduced by an amount approximating the height of the inwardly projecting neck which has heretofore customarily been employed. In my copending application Serial No. 377,965, flied of even date herewith, I have disclosed and claimed a container and closure structure accomplishing results similar to those accomplished by the present invention and while the structure of my said copending application is slightly simpler and cheaper than that of the present invent on the structure herein disclosed and claimed has certain advantages which will be hereinafter pointed out.

I provide for sealing the container opening against the material of the container about the opening and I preferably maintain the closure in place by means disposed toward the outside of the container from the open ng. I prefer to deform the material of the container at the edge of the opening to form a reinforcement and to seal against such reinforcement. I preferably provide a retaining member disposed about the opening with which the closure cooperates to be held in place. The closure preferably has a generally radially extending flange and means at the edge of the flange for engaging the retaining member. In a preferred form of structure the retaining member is in the form of a ring and is welded to the container outside the opening and has spaced cams with which spaced lugs at the periphery-of the. closure flange are adapted to engage. The cams or the lugs or both are inclined to provide for wedging engagement upon turning of the closure after insertion. When the closure is inserted the lugs pass between the cams of the retaining member, so the closure is held in place by a bayonet joint. A spout may be provided which may be held or clinched to the container by the material of the container at the opening and when such a spout is provided the retaining device is preferably disposed therewithin.

Other details, objects invention will become apparent as the following description of a present preferred embodiment thereof proceeds. i

In the accompanying drawing I'have shown and advantages of the storage and shipping container with the dust cap for the spout removed and with the closure plug partly cut away;

Figure 2 is a. central vertical cross-sectional view through the structure shown in Figure 1 and taken on the line 11-11 01' that figure but with the dust cap for the spout applied;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a cam ring forming part of the structure shown in Figures 1 and 2; and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the closure p ug.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing. there is shown a sheet metal container designated generally by reference numeral 2. The portion of the container shown is the top thereof adjacent the rim. 1 The container as a whole may be of standard construction comprising, for example, a cylindrical body having a permanently attached bottom and a top which for purposes of the present invention may also be considered as permanently attached- In a preferred form the top may comprise what i generally known in the art as 9. lug cover or it may be permanently seamed to the body. Whatever the precise container structure, thecontainer is adapted and intended to be filled through the pouring opening.

The top of the container rises to a maximum height indicated by reference numeral 3 ,and has adjacent the rim at one point a depressed portion 4, as well known in the art. At such depressed portion 4 the container is provided with a filling and pouring opening designated by reference numeral 5. The material or the container is outwardly and reversely turned about the opening 5 as shown at 6. A sheet metal spout 1 is provided, which spout has an opening designated by reference numeral 8 concentric with the opening 5. The metal of the spout at 9 about the spout opening 8 lies between the portions l and 8 of the'metal of the container and'is thereby clinched and held in place. The spout has a lip II) which overhangs the container walland a dust cap H may be applied over the spout. In applying the dust cap the nose I2 01' the cap is hooked over the lip of the spout and the heel I! of th cap is snapped over the rearward edge H of the spout.

Fastened within the spout and disposed toward the outsid of the container from the opening 5 is a retaining device IS in the form of a metal ring with inwardly projecting ears or cams I6 formed on the inner edge of the ring. The ears or cams l6 are equidistantly spaced on the ring l5, spaces l1 being provided therebetween for the reception oi lugs on the closure plug when the closure plug is applied, explained. The ring as metal and is welded to an annular surface portion l8 or the spout I. If the spout is not used the ring may be welded directly to the metal of the container which lies beneath the portion I8 .01 the metal of the spout as shown in Figure 2. The opening 5 is adapted to be closed and sealed by a closure l9,which, as shown, is preferably in the nature or a hollow sheet metal plug with a grip portion disposed centrally thereof and welded thereto. The closure or plug I9 has a body portion 2| adapted to project slightly in-. wardly of the container through the opening 5 and an annular outwardly extending flange porshown is of sheet tion 22 adapted to overlie the reinforced portion of the container surrounding the opening 5 as shown. A gasket 23 is interposed between the reinforced portion of the container surrounding the opening and the under surface of the flange 22. Formed at the periphery of the flange 22 and extending substantially radially outwardly therefrom is a plurality of extensions or lugs 24 which, like the ears or cams it of the ring l5, are equidistantly spaced. Each oi. the lugs 24 is, as shown in Figure 4, inclined slightly to the plane of the flange 22 and the cams l6 are preferably also correspondingly inclined so that when the plug is as will presently be inserted or drop ed into place the lug 24 will pass through the spaces I I, after which, upon turning of the plug in the clockwise direction viewing Figure 1, the lugs 24 will engage beneath the respective cams l6 to'tightly wedge and hold the plug in sealing position. The seal is efiected through the gasket 23 by the under surface of the flange 22.

If desired the container may be initially sealed by a sealing member 25, in the shape of a light gauge sheet metal cup having a radial flange 26 at its edge and which may be pressed into the opening 5 after the container is filled and befor the plug is is applied. The sealing member 25 preferably fits the opening 5 tightly and is forced into such opening frictionally so that it cannot be removed without being damaged or ruptured, thus leaving an indication that the container has been opened.

The structure above described is exceptionally strong and durable. While the spout I may be omitted it is desirably employed, first, because it enhances the utility of the container and, second, because it further strengthens and stiflens the material of the container about the opening. There is no neck of the container extending inwardly from the opening and the container may be filled clear up to the level of the opening 5. The small amount of the contents case when an inwardly projecting neck' is em-v ployed. The simplicity and low cost of the container will be appreciated. Thus I combine into one a very simple and cheap container which has exceptionally strong structural characteristics and which obviates disadvantages heretofore inherent in similar structures by reason of an inwardly extending neck at the opening interiering with complete filling oi the container and with proper pouring out of the contents thereof. I am enabled to materially reduce the overall height of my container, which means a very important saving in material when it is borne in mind that these containers are made by quantity production methods.

The structure herein disclosed has an advantage over that of my copending application Serial No. 377,965, in that the means for holding the plug in place is disposed outwardly of the limited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied within the scope ofthe following claims.

I claim:

1. A container having an opening therein, the material of the container being deformed to provide a reinforcement about the opening, a closure for the opening having a portion adapted to seal against the reinforcement and means disposed relatively to said portion in a direction outwardly normal to the axis of the opening for holding the closure in place.

2. A container comprising an assembly including a body having an opening therein and a spout clinched to the container bodyat the opening, a closure for the opening lying when in operative position generally within the spout and meansconnected With the assembly and lying outside the opening for holding the closure in place.

3. A container comprising an assembly including a body having an opening therein and a spout at the opening, portions of the material of the container body and spout being interfitted to form a reinforced rim about the opening, the spout flaring immediately generally radially outwardly away from said rim, a closure for the opening sealing on said reinforced rim and means connected with the assembly and lying outside said rim for holding the closure in place.

4. A container having an opening in its top through which it is adapted to be filled, the material of the top surrounding said opening having its under surface extending generally laterally away from said opening and said material being reversely turned to provide a reinforced portion about said opening, a closure for said opening having a sealing portion cooperating with said reinforced portion to seal said opening and means connected with the container and lying outside said reinforced portion for holding the closure in place.

5. A container having an opening in its top through which it is adapted to be filled, the material of the top surrounding said opening having its under surface extending generally laterally away from said opening and said material being reversely turned to provide a reinforced portion about said opening, a closure for said opening having a sealing portion cooperating with said reinforced portion toseal said opening and bayonet joint means connected with the container and lying outside said reinforced portion for holding the closure in place.

- 6. A container having an opening in its top through which it is adapted to be filled, the material of the top surrounding said opening having its under surface extending generally laterally away from said opening and said material being reversely turned to provide a reinforced portion about said opening, a closure for said opening having a sealing portion cooperating with said reinforced portion to seal said opening and means including a retaining ring connected with the container and lying outside said reinforced portion for holding the closure in place.

'7. A container comprising an assembly including a body having an opening and a spout at the opening to guide contents of the container being poured out through the opening, a closure for the opening, a ring of material separate from the material of the body connected with the assembly and disposed within the spout and lying generally in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the opening and means on said ring and said closure for holding the closure in place.

WILLIAM H. ROBINSON. 

